Friends and Family
by PrimeEmily135
Summary: There's 'more than what meets the eye' to Jack's childhood friend. And when she moves back to Jasper, choas insues. Secrets will be revealed. And blood will be spilled... OptimusXArcee, No JackXOC!
1. Chapter 1

** For those who asked for the Story about Lyla here you go! This is more of a prologue but we'll just count it as chapter one. :)**

**I do not own Transformers Prime**

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**One**

The rain outside pattered on the window fiercely as the storm raged. Lyla sat with her back against the wall looking at the window as the only source of light in the room. She shivered fitfully and pulled her black leather jacket closer around her thin form. She tried to distract herself from her uncomfortable situation by drawing designs on the dirt floor but it was little use. She hadn't eaten in near a week and after walking for just as long she had only been able to hitch-hike once and it was only for a few miles.

She was so tired. She wanted to stop running. She wanted to give up and give in. Throw in the towel so to speak. She wanted to start life anew. But she knew she couldn't. The one time she had tried to stop running, to live a normal life, it had almost been the end of her. Her father told her to keep going. He told her she couldn't stop until she was dead. And unfortunately he was right. Because of everything he had done she was a wanted criminal by the government. She was a dangerous weapon for all who could control her. Needless to say only her father was able to do that. He was the only one who knew where she was at all times.

Lightning flashed across the sky outside and thunder boomed in the distance. The sudden loud noise reminded her of her latest close call with the Grim Reaper, and final judgment. The crash of water broken beside her, the pain of daggers digging into her flesh, those sensations were still clear in her mind. She had almost died that day out in the water. Only her father and his team of crazy scientists had been able to save her.

The screech of an owl above her made her jump. The sounds of the night reminding her again of yet another accident that had occurred more recently, but it had been less life threatening. The screech of wheels on pavement, the crashing of metal and the feeling of loss in her body was a lot to take. It had been a painful recovery but with her father's help she was soon able to pull herself back together.

She looked at her scratched up half melted watch. Her father was supposed to be there by now. He promised he would meet her in person this time. She hadn't seen him personally in nearly four years. He always sent one of his mysterious underlings to take care of her for him. Although he had promised this time, she wasn't expecting him to show. He was never one to fulfill her expectations.

A crash of glass shattering made her start, but not scream. She was too hardened to be scared by a mere message by way of rock. She watched it clatter to the ground and roll across the floor, stopping next to her. She reached out with shaking fingers and grasped it tightly in one hand. Standing up she brought it to the feint light of the now broken window. Holding it up closer to her face she read the message inscribed on it. Two words were scratched into the rough piece of rock, barely readable but her trained eyes picked up the marks in seconds: Jasper Nevada.

She darted to the window, but when she peered out into the rain nothing could be seen.

She sighed and curled up in the corner, laying her head on her backpack. Home…she thought dismally. She hadn't been to Jasper since her mother died… The fact that she was going back surprised her but she wasn't excited about it. Jasper held nothing special, and it only brought back bad memories. "Thanks a lot dad…" she cursed. "There better be a good reason for this outrage."

She drifted off to sleep slowly, and wandered into her tortured dreams.

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Jack returned the milk jug to its proper place in the fridge and went back to the table. Finally after two weeks his mom was able to have a sit down dinner with him, and she was looking at old photos.

"Oh my goodness…" June covered her lips in disbelief. "Jack, come look at this." She insisted, waving him over. He went somewhat reluctantly. "Look here, do you remember this?" she pointed at a picture.

Jack leaned over his mother's shoulder to look at the picture. It was faded and smudged like someone touched it with wet hands but he could see the two faces clearly enough to recognize it. He sat down next to June and looked at the picture more closely. "Is that Lillian?"

"You two were so little back then." June mused to herself.

"I totally forgot about her…" the two black haired kids looked up at him from the page with bright smiles on their faces. Lillian was holding a small kitten and in the background was her mother and June. "I never did find out why she left."

"Well," June skewered her meatloaf with her fork, "her father traveled a lot. After Lara died I guess he might have taken her with him."

Jack took one last glance at the photo before settling down to finish his own dinner. "Yeah, maybe…"

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**So, I've had this crazy idea buzzing around in my head since…like December or something like that. I've been trying to take my time and finish some of my other stories but I just had to upload this bit to see if anyone was even interested. No, this isn't a love story for Jack. Yes, Lyla is my OC. If you've heard that name anywhere I'm sorry. I was experimenting with names and it was either Lyla or Ivana…**

**So I probably won't post anything in this for a while but please leave a review and tell me if you're interested in this story at all. That would be appreciated greatly. Thank-you for reading! :) **


	2. Chapter 2

Jack grabbed a book from his locker and shut the metal door again. Everything at school was a little dreary, but three weeks until summer break was definitely on everyone's minds. Tests were coming up and there was a lot of studying going on. He did so much reading that the meatloaf dinner he had with his mother almost a month ago was the last one he had with her since.  
He felt a little strange when he thought about that night. It was as if Lillian had been wiped from his memory until he saw that photograph. She had just disappeared after her mother had died.

He squeezed through the crowded halls, past his noisy fellow piers. Walking past the people coming from PE he held his breath without really realizing it, to avoid the stink.

He shook his head. He didn't remember her father all that much. He just remembered playing army person with Lillian because he was in the military. Everything about his appearance was a mystery to him.

He stumbled, accidentally bumping into a black haired girl. "Oh, sorry…" he mumbled, continuing to the class room.

He slumped into his seat for math and set his books on the desk. The teacher was absent and things in the class were getting a bit loud with all the chatter.

He opened the book and tried to look things over but a certain red head girl caught his eye. Sierra was laughing with her friends in the corner of the classroom, completely ignoring the world around them. He sighed, with a small smile and tried to get back to his books.

There was a noise outside the classroom and all the students rushed to take their seats. The teacher came in, her glasses propped on her nose.

Time for school... He sighed tiredly.

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Lyla lingered behind in the class as the bell rang the end of school. She waited for everyone to leave before she grabbed her thongs and wandered out into the hall. She didn't like pushing past crowds of people to get to where she needed to be.

So far she had been in Jasper for a week and a half without incident, unless you counted bumping into someone in the hall that morning. She didn't see anyone she recognized but couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone just around the next corner that would make her life ten times more difficult.

She shouldered her black backpack and started toward the exit doors to the parking lot. It was a bright sunny afternoon. The sky was a crisp shade of blue and the clouds were a fluffy white. Wind tussled her black hair into her face, and she brushed it aside instinctively.

She scanned the crowded parking lot for her motor cycle. Luckily her father had remembered to put some cash into her bank account. She bought the sleek black Kawasaki Ninja just before leaving, to make her cross country travel a lot easier. It was definitely her favorite way to travel. The wind was hard against her, rushing past her ears sounding like the largest of waterfalls. And she could ride forever it felt like. She felt free, her own person. It was a sensation she wouldn't trade for anything.

"Hey! Hey, stop it!"

She whipped around quickly, looking for the call of distress. A few teenage boys were harassing a younger boy with glasses. They laughed when the red head dumped the kid's back pack onto the sidewalk, scattering his belongings. Someone else pushed the boy aside, taking the laptop that had been in his hands. The red head, she now recognized as Vince the school bully, took the computer and looked it over.

"Shiny." He smirked, tossing it into a flower garden. "Whoops…"

"Stop it!" The boy tried to get his computer, only to be shoved back again.

Lyla glared at them, dropping her pack by her motorcycle. "Hey!" she stormed up to them, glaring murderously. They ignored her. "Hey!" she shoved the one holding the boy and pushed him away from him. "Leave him alone." She said in a deadly tone. And they laughed at her.

Vince crossed his arms, laughing with his friends.

They boy stared up at Lyla in shock as he gathered his things from the ground. She gave him a glance that clearly said, 'get your stuff and go'. Luckily he got the message. She turned on them once more. "You have no reason to pick on a kid like that, Vince."

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it?" he smirked.

She bit down on her lip, fighting the urge to kick him in the gonads right then and there. _Don't get in a fight, don't draw attention to yourself. Don't get into trouble! _Her inner self was like a whisper compared to the rage shouting in her ears. Raising her hand she smacked it across his arrogant face, leaving a bright red mark on his pale skin. He stumbled back in shock, an undignified yelp escaping him. Her eyes narrowed when she felt a hand on her arm. She grabbed the other boy's hand twisted around and held his arm behind his back, popping his wrist. This boy screamed in pain.

She stepped back, staring at the last boy coldly. "Leave that boy alone." She ordered. The third boy turned tail and hurriedly left. _Smart_. She looked at Vince. "Don't make me the bully that puts the others in their rightful place." She turned on her heal and started to leave.

Vince grumbled underneath his breath. "Dang slutty goody two shoes…"

She froze, turning around she punched him in the nose. Satisfied with him clutching his bloodied face she stomped over to her motorcycle. Picking up her backpack she drove out of the parking lot.

"Wait!"

She slowly stopped, looking back behind her to see the boy she had helped. He looked like he was about to get in the yellow car there, but he paused.

"Thank-you…" he called to her.

She nodded, smiling slightly before starting again. But before she could move five feet another, more panicked voice, reached her ears.

"Hey, watch out!"

She yelped, slamming her brakes when she almost crashed into another cyclist. "Sorry…" she looked up into the boy's face and she froze. He didn't seem to recognize her but she remembered him! She couldn't stop herself from gasping. "Jack? Jack Darby?" she mentally slapped herself. She didn't want to reconnect with anybody!

The boy looked back at her, suddenly narrowing his eyes. He seemed to be racking his brain, trying to remember her. "No way… Lillian?"

She looked at him in disbelief. He remembered her? It had been years since she had seen him last. And it was about the same time since she had heard her real name. She nodded to him, smiling from ear to ear. She had found a friend, weather she had wanted to or not. And she was happy about it.

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**Well, there's the second chapter. Hope it was satisfactory. Please Review. :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Admittedly not my best work, but I'm trying to get back into writing this even if the chapters don't flow as well as I'd want them to. I will come back and edit as I see fit I suppose… Anyways thanks for being so patient.. Sorry it's so short.**

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Lyla parked her motorcycle in a space next to Jack's at the KO drive in. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of her long lost friend. He had definitely changed, but what person doesn't in almost ten years? He was a little quieter then she remembered, but she could care less.

"What are you doing back in Jasper?" Jack set his helmet down by the front tire of his blue motorcycle, ruffling his hair back into place. "Last I heard you and your dad bugged out to Timbuktu."

She huffed irritably, hopping up onto the sidewalk. "My dad pried me away from here and sent me all over the United States! I haven't seen him personally in years. He sends me things and money, and gets me into schools but that's about it." She stepped inside the burger joint when Jack opened the door for her. The wave of fast food hit her with a wave of nausea. She hadn't actually eaten at a burger joint in a while. "But pretty much I've been moving around every few months for the past couple of years. What have you been doing?" She sat down at a table as he went behind the counter and put on his KO drive in hat.

"Eh, what any teenager does I guess." He didn't make eye contact with her as he said it, which made her raise an eyebrow, but she decided to ignore it. "So, would you like to order something or are you just going to distract me my whole shift?" He asked playfully, a childish smile creeping onto his face.

"Hmm…" she looked up at the menu, noting that there was no one else in the joint besides them and another employee with headphones in. "Out of all this junk what would you suggest?" she couldn't say she was very hungry, but if it gave her a few more minutes to talk with him she would force _something_ down her throat.

"Um…" he shrugged undecidedly. "The french-fries are okay I guess."

She took a few dollars out of the wallet tied around her neck, counting out what the cost would probably. "I'll take a small order of those then."

Jack submitted the order and took her money. "Thank-you for choosing the KO drive in." he said, mocking the phrase as much as he could to make her laugh. "So, what are you doing back? I thought you had left with your dad to go travel the world or something." He handed her the small thing of fries and she took them slowly, looking a little downcast.

"Well, it was kind of like that at first..." she leaned against the order counter carelessly, nibbling on her deep fried preservatives with a hint of potato mush sticks. "But then my dad lost his job, did something crazy and now he's hiding from the government somewhere. I haven't seen him in years but we kind of keep in touch..." Lyla dipped her fries three at a time into a small dollop of ketchup absentmindedly. "I've been kind of on my own for a while now."

Jack fumbled slightly, and she could tell he was trying to hide something. It might not have been related to her, but he was definitely hiding something. "The government is trying to find you?"

She nodded slowly, moving a lock of her hair behind her left ear. She flinched at his stare, and nodded. "Kind of. My dad thinks the government will do anything to get to him. And although he tries not to say it, they are looking for me because of some of the things I've done..." she trailed off slightly, feeling hollow inside. "I didn't want to do anything bad but... When it comes to your own life..." she stopped, looking down at the ground. "I should go." she threw her ketchup in the trash and shoved her fries into a pouch on her backpack, covering them with a napkin so they wouldn't fall out. "See you at school..."

Jack reached out instinctively as she turned to leave, almost shouting. "Wait!" when she looked back he rubbed his neck embarrassedly. "D-do you need a place to stay? We have a guest room at our place if you need a place to crash."

Lyla smiled gratefully but shook her head. "Harboring a fugitive is a federal crime Jack. I don't think your parents want you to go to jail." he flinched, and she was unsure of what she had said to upset him, but she shrugged. "Besides, I have a place of my own. But thanks for offering." she gave him a smile and waves as she exited the building. "It was nice seeing you again Jack."

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_'Place of her own'_ had been a little bit of a stretch. She lived under a bridge, like a homeless person. She had a fire ring in the middle of her little camp, a sleeping bag on top of an old mattress someone had thrown out, and a cooler (also something someone had thrown out. It was broken and half melted.) that held some of her belongings. She didn't really have a place for food yet. Her backpack was thrown carelessly next to the cooler, and she sat on her dirty bed eating the rest of her fries.

Jack had been hiding something. She knew he hadn't really been hiding anything, more like he was hoping to avoid a subject. He had started acting funny after she mentioned the government... Of course she had just said that she was kind of a fugitive... That would make anyone act suspicious.

"Stupid! Stupid-stupid-stupid!" she hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Why did I say that?" she just hoped that for whatever reason Jack didn't rat her out.

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**Sorry that took a while. I've been focusing too much on this story's side stories "Lonely" (Which is finished) and "Bad Boy". Check them out if you have time. And I'll try to update this story a little more regularly now :)**

**Please leave a Review. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, Chapter four… Hopefully I'll have more chapters out soon after this. I have been very distracted lately with my other stories so I apologize for not updating this one more frequently.**

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Optimus Prime vented quietly in frustration as he went over the data on the computer screen. Sorting through the Iacon database was becoming more tiresome than he had predicted. He was definitely out of practice. Even though he had worked on the file for days, he still hadn't cracked any of the codes. As Orion Pax he had been able to decode some things on the Decepticon Warship, or at least that is what he suspected, but as himself again things were difficult. He concluded that it was because his mind was focused on more than one thing.

His fingers itched to close the file so he could take a break, but he couldn't look weak in front of his men. His processor may have been in need of some rest but he wouldn't take it until his Autobots had retired for the day and went to recharge. The only one left up was of course Ratchet. He was working on some things in his lab, but nothing could get past that medic. The minute someone went off on their own the medic was all over it. It gave him a little peace of mind that his friend was so alert, but sometimes it did get a little bothersome to know that he couldn't go anywhere without someone knowing and watching him. And so, he waited patiently for the medic to finish his work and leave.

But if he didn't leave soon it would be one of those nights where Ratchet would start asking him about his mental health…

"Optimus?"

He did his best not to cringe. Resigning himself to his fate, he addressed his friend. "Yes Ratchet." He kept his optics trained on the computer screen in front of him. He tried his best to keep working but he just couldn't focus. He heard Ratchet heave a sigh and felt his servo on his arm. He looked at the medic curiously as he moved in front of him to close down the Prime's work. "What is the matter?"

Ratchet huffed. "You are." He finished saving his leader's work and then shut down the program all together. "You are overworking yourself."

Ignoring the fact that he was right, Optimus moved past the mech to grab a data pad he was supposed to have finished. "That is not important right now Ratchet." He said, sorting through the files on the portable device. "The Decepticons have the upper hand at the present. I need to turn the odds back in our favor, or at least even the odds." He looked up in surprise as the device was ripped forcefully from his servos by a fairly upset medic.

"I don't give a scrap." He growled, shutting down the data pad. "You have been working for eight days straight without a break. You've only refueled three times and you refuse to let your mind rest when I say to." He gave the taller mech a stern look. "I can see you're tired, why won't you do what you know is best for your health and get some sleep? Are you that stubborn?"

Optimus' optics widened slightly. "I've been working for eight days?" He hadn't thought it had been that long. He had figured four days at most. It was no surprise to him now why he wasn't thinking straight. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Ratchet scoffed. "We _did_. When you obsess over something you shut down to the world around you Optimus. Arcee tried to get you to stop working _twice_ to join her on patrol. Bumblebee attempted to ask you to train with him. _Bulkhead_ even suggested that you take a break. And all those times you said some sort of excuse to get out of it."

"I did?" He didn't remember any of that, and he was sure he'd remember if Arcee asked him to do anything.

Ratchet nodded, pointing at him sternly. "You need to rest. If you don't go willingly I will pull medical rank and order you to." He smirked slightly. "And if that doesn't work I will call in Bumblebee and Bulkhead to drag you to your berthroom and I'll have Arcee sparkling-sit you until I deem you fit for work again."

For a few minutes they stood in silence. Optimus debated what consequences would befall him if he refused Ratchet's advice and decided it best to just go along with it. "Very well." He conceded, secretly thankful to have his friend tell him it was time he had a break. "I will see you in the morning then."

He heard the medic grumble behind him. "Please... With stats like that you won't be up for two days at least…"

Deciding to ignore the comment, he continued through the base to his quarters. As soon as he was out of optic sight, he let his shoulders droop tiredly and he stretched his back cables. Standing up straight like that for too long was just about enough to kill a mech. But as he was a Prime, he had to keep up the image. Strong. Brave. Kind. He couldn't let anyone see him as anything other than that. He couldn't show any sign of weakness in front of anyone.

He vented quietly, letting the air leave his chest along with much of his frustration. Ratchet was right, about many things in fact. He always saw right through his masks and charades and he was always there to help him through his spells of doubt. He was one of his closest and oldest of friends, and out of all the Autobots that had died throughout the war, he was glad Ratchet wasn't among them. The medic was the only one who knew for certain that under the burden of being a Prime the small data clerk-Orion Pax- still existed. The young mech with much to learn was still there, he was just hard to find at times. He became unsure of himself, he was still full of questions, and Ratchet was there for him.

A firm shove on his back startled him out of his musings, and Ratchet passed him to his own quarters. Optimus rolled his optics immaturely. Out of all the things the medic was there to help him with, reminding him to go to bed was his least favorite.

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When he awoke the next morning the base was full of noise and business. By the looks of everything around him it must have been a Saturday. Miko was hyper as usual with her electric guitar. She jumped around playing her music as Ratchet worked and Bumblebee and Raf watched some cartoons. Jack and Arcee had yet to arrive, but when they did he was sure that would only mean the end of cartoon time and the beginning of video games.

All in all, he doubted he'd be able to get much work done on the Iacon database.

He resisted the urge to cover his audio receptors as Miko started to sing. The girl may have been skilled at playing instruments but, in his opinion, her singing left much to be desired. Instead of returning to his quarters like he wanted to he instead went forth to greet the children. Miko only paused her unmelodious screeching to say hi, and Raf waved shyly. Bumblebee beeped a cheerful 'good morning' to him, clearly happy to see that he was away from the computer.

Optimus nearly smiled at the young scout, but instead patted his shoulder. "Good morning to you as well Bumblebee." The young mech chirped happily, then went back to watching cartoons with his human friend. It always surprised him how innocent the young mech was, even after fighting in a war for so long. He may have been a battle raised soldier, but inside he was still just a sparkling.

After greeting the other two mechs in the room, he continued to the supply closet for a cube of energon. He could feel the emptiness in his tanks start to take over his thought processes, and he decided that it would be best to cure his hunger before doing anything else.

The sound of a revving engine caught his attention and his optics were drawn to the other side of the open bay area. Arcee and Jack had finally arrived. Jack quickly joined the other kids, namely Raf, leaving Arcee to herself. Optimus watched the femme as she transformed, and his spark fluttered softly when she smiled in his direction. He nodded to her quickly in acknowledgement and then turned away so she couldn't see his cheeks heating up. He silently cursed himself, and the title of Prime. Arcee was very beautiful, and since she had joined the team he had secretly taken a liking to her. But nobody could know that.

He shook himself, storing his cube of energon in his subspace and headed for the front entrance. Perhaps a long drive would clear his processor enough to continue his work on the Iacon database without _distractions_.

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**Leave A Review, and I will try to update soon. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I took so long... :'/**

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Lyla closed her eyes as the wind whipped past her hair, enjoying the quiet time alone underneath her bridge. It wasn't often she enjoyed being alone, but now was definitely one of those times. She wanted to get her head on straight. She needed to think of a convincing enough lie to fool Jack Darby into thinking that she was just an average teenager, like him. But every way she looked at it, there was no way to deceive him for long. Sooner or later he'd realize that something was up…

She sighed, reaching back behind her to rub at her shoulder blade. Her whole arm was hurting, probably because she slept bad on it, but she had no way to fix that any time soon. Looking down at her skin, she traced the nearly invisible lines underneath the surface. If anyone were to see them at a glance, they would have appeared to be veins. But the truth behind the scars, the lines, and the coldness of her skin was much more interesting. And a lot more painful…

She grimaced at the memory, trying to push it away as she stood up to climb up the hill to the road. She figured a long walk would help, but it didn't stop the recalling of her injuries. So much pain.. so much blood… Water in her ears and lungs, strangling her attempt to scream. Blood pouring from her body as the sharks ripped her apart… the lifelessness between alive and dead. The cold. Emptiness..

She instinctively reached back to touch the back of her skull. Through her hair she could feel the coldness of the metal plates. If it hadn't been for her father, she wouldn't be breathing still. That one accident had cost her, her right arm and leg, half of her left arm, a section of her side and a fraction of her skull. But after the operations, Leland had made it very clear that he wanted her to stay away from danger. He had gone through too much trying to protect her from the government, he didn't want to lose her to some wild animals. So, when she was old enough to make it on her own, he sent her away farther inland.

She stayed at homes for homeless children, but ran away after a few months, or any time her father sent a new location to her. No one really missed her, or at least, she didn't think that they did. She had only made one friend in all her time traveling, but it didn't last very long. Finally, at age fourteen she struck out for herself and started living like a hobo. Under bridges, in the trees, it didn't really matter. As long as she was near a gas station where she could shower she was fine. And she continued to go to school. She didn't know how her father was able to get her into them but he did, and she was grateful for that much.

With a sigh, she kicked a loose stone and watched it cross the empty highway. She missed her father. She missed seeing him, even if he wasn't the most normal of people. He had strange hobbies and obsessions, and couldn't make time for her, but she understood. He had the weight of the government keeping him in hiding… Or at least that was what he told her. Sometimes she didn't believe it…

If she was honest with herself, sometimes she wished she had just died the day of the accident. It would have saved her a lot of heartache where her father was concerned. She missed him terribly, and just wished he would be there for her. But after all the years, she had come to accept that that would never be.

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At the gas station, she picked up an energy drink and a bag of Chex mix. The walk had taken up a greater portion of her day, but it had been enjoyable. Sitting on the curb, she watched as the cars drove by, munching on her snack lazily. Being a Saturday she saw a lot of families out together in their cars, and she tried to shake off the loneliness. For a moment, she entertained the thought of going to a payphone and asking if Jack wanted to hang out or something, but the moment passed and she continued to hype herself up on her Monster energy drink.

Her gaze started to wander from the road to the parking lot where she sat and her eyes landed upon a big rig Semi. Popping another pretzel in her mouth, she scooted a little closer to it as she looked it over. Not that anyone cared, but she had always liked big trucks. Most of the people she hitchhiked with were truckers, and she enjoyed riding in them. They were like the lions of the road. Powerful and intimidating.

"You look kind of beat up." She said aloud to it, noticing all the scratches and dents. "Looks like you've seen some action…and probably a lot of accidents.." she sighed, rubbing her sore shoulder. "You and me both." She muttered, looking up at the symbol on the front grill. It kind of resembled a face if you looked hard enough.

She sighed again, looking up at the cloudless sky in frustration. "Look at me, I'm talking to an inanimate object…I must really be losing it." She watched as some purple cars drove into the lot, and something made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. Something wasn't right.

Picking up her Chex and her drink, she walked around to the other side of the Semi, as if putting it between her and the cars would protect her somehow. And then she started to walk away, slowly and casually. For a moment, she scolded her imagination for playing tricks on her. Then she heard an engine rev behind her, and she bolted down the side walk.

She thought she lost them around a few corners and came to a stop. She doubled over with her hands bracing against her knees, breathing heavily and hard as her blood pounded in her ears. She was exhausted, and scared. Why where they following her? Was she being watched? Who were they? She picked herself up quickly and started walking again, this time with her head bent forward so her hair would cover her face. She walked past a few people and headed out of town, following the highway back to her bridge.

Her stomach dropped uneasily on her way back home, and she watched wearily as the cars went by. She kept her eyes on the road, looking back occasionally to see if she was being followed, but it seemed like they hadn't seen her leave the town. She breathed a sigh of relief at that. But the whole situation brought more worries to her mind. Was it safe for her to go back?

She heard some honking noises behind her and the screech of tires, and she jumped. Startled out of her thoughts, she jumped at the sight of the two purple cars again. Her heart jumped up into her throat and she started to run again without a second thought. But there was nowhere to go! There wasn't a building for miles!

She darted into the dirt ground, running as fast as she could away from the road but the cars just followed her. She felt nauseas, stopping in her tracks when she realized that she would be caught one way or another. Maybe she should go quietly.

Turning around, she took a deep, fear filled, breath and closed her eyes. And she waited for the cars to run her down. Her teeth clenched together in a grimace when she heard them get closer…and closer… and-

There was a sharp bang! The sound of screeching and crashing filled the air and she immediately ducked down, shielding herself with her hands. The sounds continued for a few minutes, and when they stopped she heard footsteps. Large and heavy footsteps, coming towards her. With an ounce of bravery, she looked up and her eyes lay upon a Titan…

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**So there you go. A little on Lyla's past and she finally meets the Autobots! Well...Optimus anyway. :)**

**Please leave a Review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Lyla locked eyes with the towering giant, and she did the only thing any girl in her position would do…

She blacked out.

When her eyes opened again, she was sitting in the passengers' seat of a Semi. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, and she breathed quickly in fear. But the reason she was so terrified wasn't that she had no idea how she got there, the sky going dark, or the fact that she might have been going insane. "Where the heck is the driver!" She braced her feet against the floor and her back against the chair as they sped down the highway. Her eyes were wide with terror, and they only got bigger when a voice filled the air.

"Will you please stop stomping your feet on my organs?" The voice was deep, almost booming in her ears. "It is rather uncomfortable and is distracting me from the road." The steering wheel moved to the right on its own accord as they rounded a slight curve in the road. "I am sorry to have frightened you, but I could not leave you there to be discovered by more of our enemies. The two vehicons have probably already alerted their command of your presence around us. They will assume you to be our ally and target you for termination."

Lyla took a deep breath, trying to calm down a little but it wasn't working very well. "So, what? Am I some sort of hostage?" she swallowed dryly, trying to regain control of her voice.

"No, not a hostage." The voice reassured her, or at least tried to. "I believe your government calls it something like: protective custody. Now that you have seen us, my team and I shall have to protect you from the Decepticons." He sounded like he really was trying to make her calm, but the mention of the government just made her heart beat harder.

"Do you work for the government?" She asked, her fingers ghosting to the seat buckle and the door handle.

"No…" his voice, she was pretty sure it was supposed to be a boy by now, dropped cautiously. He obviously could somehow sense what she was doing. "We are of a race foreign to this planet. We do not work for your nation's officials, but they do keep tabs on us. We have brought war to your planet, it seems only right that we have good relations with your people."

The burning pit in her stomach seemed to overflow and she felt like she was about to vomit. "Where are you taking me?"

"To our base. I will explain more when we get there-"

"Are you going to turn me over to them?" she couldn't keep the fearful tears in her eyes from falling down her cheeks. "I swear I'll never steal again! I won't tell anyone about you. You'll never hear from me again. Please let me go!" She unbuckled herself and pulled at the door handle desperately. But before she could unlock it and jump out (a foolish plan, but she was frantic) two straps wrapped firmly around her, holding her in place.

"Child, keep calm." He said firmly and the truck pulled to a stop. "I mean you no harm. I am sure whatever you have done can be forgiven, unless you have committed homicide." He paused as if waiting for her to confirm or deny it, but when she remained silent he turned on the radio and started driving again. "You do not strike me as a bad character, merely misfortunate."

She sat in silence for a while, her gaze wandering out the window as she listened to the quiet classical music. They were far away from Jasper by now, driving towards a large land formation.

"What is your name child?"

She thought on that for a moment, not answering right away. "You tell me yours first."

"My name is Optimus Prime. I am from the city Iacon on the planet Cybertron. I am the leader of the Autobots, and your designated guardian until further notice." He said plainly, slowing down as if to prolong the drive. Maybe he wasn't aware of what he did, but she was betting he wanted to learn about her more before taking her wherever they were going.

She bit her lip and said through gritted teeth. "My name is Lillian, Lillian Bishop. But most who know me call me Lyla." As they grew closer to the land structure in front of them, she became more and more aware that they didn't seem to be slowing enough to turn. "Where exactly are we going?" her feet unconsciously started bracing against the floor again.

"We're already here."

* * *

Ratchet felt his spark ease when Optimus came in. He had been wondering if the Prime would ever return. When he had gone for a break to clear his processor, he hadn't expected him to be gone all day. By now it was already late night, the kids had returned home and Arcee and the others had returned to the base for the night. But when he turned to reprimand him for his actions, he was stopped in his tracks.

"Optimus…you can't be serious…"

The Prime stood in front of him, a slightly agitated look in his optics and a servo over his abdomen in slight pain. But in his other hand, a small figure crouched in a fearful stance. And the girl looked just about ready to die.

"_Another human_?"

* * *

**Poor Ratchet… Three humans was probably more than enough for him in the first place. :\**

**Leave a Review and have a Happy Easter! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! look who's back! :)**

**I know it's been a while since I updated this story but I hope to become a little more faithful with it now that I have finished it's sister stories "Bad Boy" and "Lonely". Updates may still come a little slowly because I have a job now and I'm pretty busy with it, but I will make time to write :) **

**Anyways, I noticed that someone asked in a review a while back if I could make the chapters a little bit longer, well whoever that was this chapter is for you ;) Chapters in my stories usually range anywhere from 800 words to 3,000. Sorry if they are too short to satisfy. **

**Oh well, on to the story! What happens to Lyla now that she is with the Autobots? Let's find out..**

* * *

Lyla sat in the palm of the giant Autobot's hand, gripping at his thumb so she wouldn't fall. The other large robot across the room didn't look pleased. Quite the opposite in fact. But his words echoed in her mind. _Another human? I'm not the only one?_ Of course, she remembered him saying that he was working with the American government, but she didn't expect to see any humans _with_ them. What if they saw her? What if they _recognized_ her? Suddenly, she didn't feel very good. Her stomach dropped and she barely even heard what the titans were discussing.

But then it went quiet. She stilled uncomfortably, and glanced up at them. They were watching her, expectantly. "What?" her voice was small and it cracked a bit. She shrunk visibly, curling into a ball when Optimus Prime chuckled.

"It is alright child, I was just asking if you were alright. You seemed to be… concerned about something." He lowered his hand to an overhanging platform and she hopped off gratefully onto it.

"No, I'm fine." She hugged herself, feeling a little cold now that she was not being cradled by the robot. Even though he was made of metal he had been really warm. But she'd rather be cold and somewhere she didn't feel like she'd fall than warm and high off of the ground. She prided herself on being adventurous, but heights did not agree with her.

Drowning out the Autobots' chatter as it steered away from her again, she looked around the platform at the TV and videogame console in front of an old yellowed couch. With the magazines and dirty controllers and leftover snack food, the place looked like a regular recreation room. Picking up the half empty bag of chips, she read the expiration date. It still had quite a few years of life expectancy left… which meant that it had been purchased recently. In fact, there wasn't nearly enough dust in the area for it to be abandoned. This suggested that… the other humans they had been talking about were _children_.

_Holy smokes! What are these people, children stalkers?_ If the Autobots were supposedly protecting her and some odd other children from the..other guys… did that mean that the cars chasing her were after _children_? _That's sick!_ She collapsed weakly onto the couch with an exhausted sigh. She had nearly become a victim of abduction… if not more.

Tossing the bag of chips back onto the coffee table she curled up into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. How could this possibly be real? All of it seemed too impossible to be true at all. Giant robots in disguise protecting humanity from others just like them, just because they were waging a war and it got big enough to reach Earth? None of it made sense. Why were they even at war anyways? And why wasn't anyone on earth bothered by it? Surely someone could tell them to take their battle somewhere else, couldn't they? Or were they stuck on earth? That would at least explain why they hadn't left. There wasn't anything on earth for them to remain..was there?

"Lyla." She was brought out of her thoughts abruptly when Optimus tapped her shoulder with one of his large fingers. She looked up at him and he gave her a small reassuring smile. "I would like for you to meet the rest of my team." He motioned to three new robots that had entered the room. "Since you will be coming here often from now on it might be good for you to be acquainted with them."

Lyla peeked over the back of the couch at all of them, slightly nervous but still curious all the same. Swinging her legs around until she was sitting upside down on the couch, she pulled herself up to perch on the back of the couch and waved at them awkwardly. "Hey."

Optimus watched her strange adjustment but didn't comment on it. "This is Ratchet, our team medic." He pointed to the first one she had seen and the bot rolled his eyes. Moving on, he pointed to the large green one and the other two. "This is Bulkhead our wrecker, Bumblebee our scout and..Arcee: my second in command." No one seemed to notice the catch in his voice, but Lyla noted it. The one called Arcee seemed to be female. And although Optimus Prime was much larger than any of the other "males" in the room, she didn't doubt that he had the capability to have feelings for the smallest bot. If robots did have feelings anyways…

Her attention was drawn away from the two of them quickly however when she realized that the yellow male, Bumblebee, was staring at her. Lyla bit her lip, a little uncomfortable at the look. The little scout seemed to notice his fault and quickly looked away, covering his face in embarrassment with a whirring sound.

"What is it Bee?" Bulkhead grasped the scout's shoulder, shaking him slightly.

Bumblebee looked up again, glancing at Lyla again fleetingly before looking down again. [I-I know her. I've seen her before. She was the one who helped Raf when Vince was bullying him… She punched him in the face.]

"Well, yeah. He deserved it didn't he?" she glanced down at the floor, suddenly feeling a little self conscious when everyone stared at her. "The guy's a jerk. He was picking on that boy and he called me a slut, I couldn't let him get away with that..." _Oh goodness, why are they staring at me?_ It was like they had never seen a human before. Their eyes were curious and completely locked on her. "What?" she tried to glare at them defiantly, but it faltered when their expressions didn't change.

[You…understand me?] the yellow one asked, taking a few steps closer.

"Yeah..why? Is that a bad thing?" She glanced up at Optimus Prime and he shook his head.

"No, it is just rare." He explained, grasping the smaller male's shoulder and shaking it lightly. "In the earlier stages of the war Bumblebee lost his voice box. Since then he has used a device allowing him to speak in Cybertronian shorthand. Very few of your race understand him. In fact, that boy you helped has been the only one so far."

Lyla rubbed her ear unconsciously, feeling the metal wiring beneath the synthetic skin. For some reason, she was certain that her hearing implants had something to do with her ability to understand walking, talking machines. She just didn't understand why.

"Wait…" she narrowed her eyes at them, her eyebrows knitting into a thoughtful V. "You know that boy? Raf. The one that Vince was picking on. You know him?"

Bumblebee shifted and looked up at his leader. Optimus did the equivalent of a sigh and reached out a hand to her. "Lyla, it may be best if you hear some of this from one of our human friends. I will take you to June and Jack Darby. They can best explain to you what is going on." She looked at his hand hesitantly, and his gaze softened. "I know this must be a lot to grasp, but it will become easier with time."

Lyla shook her head in disbelief, feeling her head swim. "You know Jack Darby?" who else did they know? Were they watching her? All at once the information was becoming too much. "This is..insane." she paled, her breathing quickening. "What-..how-?" she bent over, bracing herself on the couch, hyperventilating. "Oh..oh, I don't feel good…"

"Optimus, her circulatory and respiratory systems are quickening rapidly." Ratchet warned, but she barely heard it before her vision went black.

* * *

Optimus reached out to catch the small human as she collapsed, carefully cradling her in the palm of his servo. _None of the other humans reacted like this. _He looked at her curiously, his thumb brushing over her cold skin. _Why does she act like this?_ "Ratchet, is she alright?" after the ordeal with Raf being infected with dark energon the medic had done more research into human biology. He now had a reasonable understanding of their functions, enough at least to tell if something was wrong.

Scanning her small form, Ratchet checked her vitals. "She is stabilizing, but I would suggest that you take her to Nurse Darby. She would know better than I."

"I'll take her there." Arcee volunteered. "The humans are used to seeing me around the neighborhood. It would draw less attention than if someone else went."

Optimus nodded in acknowledgement to her suggestion, but then denied it. "The girl is unconscious. Even if you are an amazing driver-" he tried to keep the complement unnoticeable. "-it would be difficult for her to stay upright. No, I will take her and explain to Miss Darby what has happened." He glanced around at the other bots. "I will be back shortly."

No one made a move to object as he transformed, but he could tell that Ratchet was irritated. He made a note to find out what was bothering him when he returned, and said nothing as he left the way he had come.

It seemed a little pointless to have taken her to the base at all now that he was taking her to the Darby's. But it confused him that she had obviously been overwhelmed like she had. None of the other children had any similar reactions. Jack had been hesitant to accept their protection at first, but he had not gone so far as to faint or show actual fear when brought to the base. Lyla was obviously an entirely new specimen of human that he had not come across before. She was easily frightened or upset, and quick to defend herself and others.

Looking internally at the girl where she was strapped in, he considered something she had said before passing out again. She knew Jack. How, he was not sure, but it interested him. According to Arcee, Jack had reunited with a friend some days ago. She hadn't said much about it other than that, but he was sure that Lyla was that friend. He was curious what events had caused this girl to end up like she did, alone and hunted, and he intended to ask Jack what he knew when he had the chance.

First things first, he had to contact June.

* * *

"Optimus, what a surprise!" June was quick to greet him as he parked in her driveway next to her small car. She smiled at him and ignored her son's embarrassed exclamation as she caressed the hood of his alt mode. "It's so good to see you outside of the base. If you were smaller I'd ask you to come inside."

Optimus chuckled at her comment, relaxing a little that she wasn't upset for the late hour. "It is a pleasure to see you as well June. I apologize for the short notice and the late hour, but something has come up that requires…_human_ attention." At this the mother looked at him suspiciously, moving somewhat in front of Jack as if to protect him. He could understand her reason to be wary, but he quickly put her mind at ease. "It is nothing dangerous, I assure you Miss Darby. We have come across a young girl who has been threatened by the Decepticons. By chance it seems, it is someone that Jack knows. I was merely hoping that she could stay with you tonight and that Jack could explain to her what it means to be under our protection… she..did not take it well from us."

June gasped, raising her hand over her mouth. "Oh dear, what happened?"

"She fainted."

"Oh, poor girl.. Of course she can stay here. But won't her parents worry about her?" she asked, not seeing the look of realization hit Jack. Optimus had a suspicion that the boy knew exactly who it was that had discovered them.

"Her parents are… unavailable. I would appreciate if you could house her until she is ready to come back to the base with us. I will contact agent Fowler to see if there is a way we can pay you for your trouble." He assured.

"Oh, it's no trouble Optimus. I'm happy to help."

He gratefully thanked her for her cooperation and opened the passenger side door. When Jack saw who it was he showed no surprise, but instead concern. He understood that Lyla did not look well in human standards, but June's worried reaction told him that maybe it was worse than it seemed.

"Jack, get her inside and put her in the guest bedroom." She ordered and he quickly jumped to the task. Optimus felt him climb up into the passenger's side and start to unbuckle Lyla from her spot, but as soon as he tried to lift her the boy almost fell back out.

"Holy scrap!"

"Jack, she's tiny." His mother chastised, opening the front door for him as he struggled to carry Lyla into the house.

"Mom, she's heavier than she looks! It's like she has iron feet!" he strained to say, disappearing through the door. After he was gone, June turned back to him with a smile.

"We'll take care of her Optimus, don't worry."

"She is in capable hands." With a quick farewell, he left her to tend to the girl. Hopefully she would take the news of aliens among them a little better from those of her own kind…

* * *

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